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Fida'i
"For he used to bring up in his palace youths belonging to his territory, and had them taught a variety of languages, and above all things to fear their Lord and obey him unto death, which would thus become to them an entrance into the joys of Paradise. And whosoever of them perished in carrying out his Lord's behests was worshiped as an angel" - Jacques de Vitry ''speaking of how Rashid Ad-Din Sinan trained his Fida'i, in ''Bongars, ''I.) ]] '''Fida'i '''was the Hashashin rank preceding Rafiq. Ismailis killers of the Assassin Order were termed to be Fidais or Assassins. The word 'Fidai' is derived from 'Fida' meaning sacrifice. Because Ismailis used to sacrifice, i.e. give away their lives and everything for the order, they are termed as 'Fidais'. But as far as the word 'Assassin' is concerned there is a controversy. Some say it is derived from the word 'Hasaneen' meaning followers of 'Hasan'. Some say that the word actually was 'Hashish' meaning addict of a green intoxicating herb 'Hashish'. This assumption is founded on their belief that at the time of war, or during initiations, Hasan used to drug them with 'Hashish' to keep up the spirit of his soldiers. Induction Legend Legend tells that the Hashashin leader would feed them a meal loaded with hashish, which would knock the aspirant unconscious. The Grand Master would then have the sleeping aspirant transported to a "magical garden". When the aspirant would wake up there, he would find wine, women and song. He would indulge, and pass out again. When he would awaken, there would be The Old man of The Mountain, to promise him a return to that paradise in return for unfailing service. Role These young un-initiates were the Assassins' front line troops. They would be the ones carrying out the assassination missions. Fida'is could also be appointed as castle guards, warriors in raids, battles, and skirmishes or as body guards for Imams. Training ]]Much time and many resources were put into training the Fida'yin. These young men were physically trained for combat and it is quite possible that some were "born in the order" and so would have started from a very early age. They had language training so that they could be embedded in foreign communities and lie in wait, gathering information. They had philosophical and religious training; the favorite targets of the Assassins were religious leaders and political heads of state, the ''Fida-i had to fit in. Furusiyya The Fida'i are said to be adept in an early form of furusiyya, or the Islamic warrior code. In the case of the Assassins, they were trained in combat, disguises, and most likely horseback riding. Common disguises used by the Fida'i were the guises of a Christian monk, Sufi dervish, Muslim fakir (ascetic), traveling merchant, school teacher or soldier. A Fida'is using the guise of a Christian monk they killed Conrad of Montferrat and Ibn al-Kashshab. Using the guise of a Sufi they killed Il-Bursuqi of Mosul. The Assassins that attempted to kill Saladin were disguised as soldiers. The Fida'i would often fully commit to his guise. The Assassins that killed Conrad of Montferrat whilst disguised as monks were allegedly baptized and lived in a monastery. According to one account, one of the two Fida'is was able to flee to a church after attacking Conrad and due to his robes, blended in. According to the same account, he was caught and "seized and dragged until he was dead". Codes of conduct are followed, and the Assassins are taught in the art of war, language, and strategies. The training possibly included certain games like chess. Archery and sword fighting were also included in their training. ]]As an ethical code, it is comparable to the contemporary European notion of chivalry. Furussiya and European chivalry has both influenced each other as a means of a warrior code for the Saracen, knight and Fida'i. This art was practiced throughout the Muslim world, and saw its greatest achievement in Mamluk Egypt during the 14th century. Known Fida'is * Husam of Avizi, Hasan of Tun and Mansur of Chahak, responsible for the assassination of Kizil Arslan. * Al-Hakim al-Munajjim, first Assassin Fida'i to kill in Syria, responsible for the assassination of Janah Ad-Dawla Category:Ranks